1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a luminaire mountable on a securement base, for example a building ceiling or a wall, and more particularly is concerned with a luminaire configuration having a mounting module attachable on the securement base, a luminaire module supporting illumination producing components, and a connection system by which the luminaire module is attachable to and detachable from the mounting module without disturbing the illumination producing components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Luminaires mountable on a securement base, for example a building ceiling or a wall, are well-known. One such ceiling luminaire comprises a housing in which illumination producing components of the luminaire, such as a reflector, lamp bulb and other necessary devices, are disposed. On its side facing the securement base, the luminaire housing is closed with a mounting cover. In the mounting cover are provided cable entries as well as fastening openings, with the fastening openings serving for fastening the mounting cover on the securement base, such as the building ceiling or wall, by using screws.
The luminaire housing can be fastened to the mounting cover, for example, by using set screws that radially penetrate an outer wall of the luminaire housing. However, this has the disadvantage that the set screws are visible from the outside. In order to deal with this disadvantage other ceiling luminaires are known in which the connection of the luminaire housing with the mounting cover closing the luminaire housing on the fastening side is brought about by using fastening screws which are disposed within the luminaire housing parallel to a longitudinal axis of such a ceiling luminaire.
Thus, it is advantageous that no fastening means can be seen from the outside of the luminaire after the luminaire is mounted. However, in order to access the fastening screws for mounting such a ceiling luminaire, it is necessary to remove the illumination producing components of the ceiling luminaires for example a front covering glass, reflector and lamp, and occasionally including a lamp socket, from the luminaire housing. For this reason, the mounting of such a ceiling luminaire is time consuming and expensive in view that the luminaire must first be disassembled and, after the mounting of the mounting cover on the ceiling side is completed, the luminaire must again be completely assembled. Since in mounting such a luminaire the electrical connections are already established, such mounting must be carried out exclusively by trained technical personnel, for example electricians.
Consequently, there is a need for a luminaire configuration which is mountable with considerably lower expenditures and is provided with components that can be mounted by untrained persons.
The present invention overcomes the aforementioned problems by providing a luminaire configuration which includes a mounting module attachable on a securement base, such as the building ceiling or wall, a luminaire module supporting illumination producing components, and a connection system having first and second connection elements by which the luminaire module is attachable to and detachable from the mounting module through mechanical cooperation between the first and second connection elements without disturbing the illumination producing components. The luminaire module includes an outer luminaire housing having an annular shape and a coupling ring fitted thereto. The outer luminaire housing supports the illumination producing components therein. The attachment of the luminaire module with the mounting module is achieved by the first connection element provided on the mounting module being insertable into and removable from releasable engagement with the second connection element provided on the coupling ring of the luminaire module such that the luminaire module is thereby fastenable on the mounting module through a releasable latch-type engagement between the first and second connection elements. This attachment and detachment of the luminaire module to and from the mounting module takes place via a movement of the luminaire module relative to the mounting module that is effected without additional tools being required. The latch-type cooperation between the first and second connection elements leads to a form-fit connection that can take place without a significant expenditure of energy being necessary. The luminaire configuration according to the present invention is thus constructed modularly and its luminaire module at a rear side has only a joining cable piece projecting therefrom. An electrical plug can be applied on the end of the cable piece to facilitate handling and connection of the luminaire module to the mounting module by inexperienced or untrained persons.
The advantage resulting from the luminaire configuration of the present invention therefore involves, in particular, a simple tool-free attachment and detachment of the luminaire module to and from the mounting module without disturbing the illumination producing components. In the case where the luminaire configuration is provided with an electrical plug for establishing electrical connections, after the mounting module has been fastened on the securement base and an electrical junction line has been brought to the mounting module by an electrician and provided at its end with a female connector part, the luminaire module can now be mounted to the mounting module and its electrical plug plugged into the female connector part by inexperienced or untrained persons. Especially when equipping a building with a multiplicity of such luminaire configurations the mounting expenditures can be considerably reduced through this measure. In the case of equipping a building it can also first be undertaken to mount only the mounting modules and to place the electrical lines into the mounting modules. Providing such modular construction of the luminaire configuration permits any selected one of diverse luminaire modules to be attached to the same mounting module such that the selection of the proper luminaire configuration can take place subsequently at a later time. Correspondingly simplified by the luminaire configuration of the present invention is the replacement of one luminaire module by another. In the event that no luminaire module is to be mounted onto a mounting module in the near future, the mounting module can be concealed with a cover supporting the second connection element.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention.